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Wednesday, 9th February 2011
In General Japan News,

Japanese jobseekers hold rally

A rally has been held in Tokyo to highlight the lack of job opportunities for young people in Japan.

An estimated 1,500 college students took part in the event in a central Tokyo park in a bid to raise awareness about Japan's job market.

Recent research by the labour and education ministries concluded that around 30 per cent of Japanese university graduates have failed to find a job for when they leave education in spring - the highest level since 1996 and five per cent higher than in 2010.

Students are hoping that the rally will encourage the government to do more to improve their employment prospects.

"It's a very tough situation, but I won't give up," 19-year-old student Misato Shinotsuka told AP.

Japan's unemployment rate is currently 4.9 per cent - which is regarded as significantly high compared to previous history but is an improvement on the previous month's 5.1 per cent level.

Written by Susan Ballion.